Slow-mo's

About the fastest things at my local county fair are the horses and little kids dragging their parents to the carnival rides.  I’m used to seeing the cows, pigs, goats, sheep, bunnies, chickens and other fowl as youngsters bring their pets to show and hopefully receive ribbons. But I wasn’t prepared for the critters fenced under some shady trees near the commercial exhibits this year. 

Yes, turtles. Huge, slow-moving turtles.  I neglected to ask the nearby people—presumably care-takers—why these were at the fair.  My best guess was for small-fry discovery, as some of the bigger (and noisier) animals can be scary and intimidating.

Not turtles. God’s creation reflects who He is in numberless ways.  And I wonder if He placed turtles among us to slow us down, especially those of us who live in this high-paced technical age where speed is a prized commodity.

Internet too slow?  Our company will give you blazing fast speeds.
Get there quicker in our brand of car with all its horsepower.
Fly to Europe in a couple hours.
Skip the shopping trip.  Place your online grocery order for delivery.
Lonely? Try our speed-dating service.

But God sometimes works r e a l   s l o w.  This was especially painful for early Christians who wanted the promise of a new kingdom with a righteous ruler—God Himself—as soon as possible.  Life with persecution was already near the edge of “unbearable.”  Jesus’ follower Peter knew the temper of spiritual times well, writing:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 8:9)

Lest early Christians think they could relax their fervor for Christ a bit, Peter added:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (v. 10)

When God’s ready, history won’t move at the pace of a turtle. It will happen in the blink of an eye. That’s why we’re to “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” (v. 14).

Does that awe you, inspire you, and fire you up?